Decoy



Nov. 23 1926. ,608,045

F. E. s'rALLMAN DEcoY Filed April 20, 1925 IN VEN R.

Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

UNETED STATES FRANK E. STALLMAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DECOY.

Application lecl April 20, 1925. Serial No. 24,392.

My invention relates in general to decoys for water fowl, and has particular reference to a so called collapsible decoy with a water-tight construction to enable the same to be used to the best possible advantage, including a sel-arighting float when capsized.

The present invention is an improvement over my decoy Patent No. 1,527,711, issued February 2a, 1925, and the improved feaA tures will now be described with reference to the illustrations shown in the accompanying drawing. y

In said drawing Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of my decoy set up 'for use, parts being broken away to show interior construction; Fig. 2 is a top plan with a portion of the back broken away to show the tail-expanding member; Fig. 3 is a detail view in section, much enlarged, showing the method of attachment of the body to the base; and Fig. l is a perspective view showing the decoy capsized and presenting to view the large base area for wind arighting of the decoy.

Referring to the drawings in detail: 1 iirst propose to make the decoy collapsible, so to speak, at least so far as concerns the body portion 5. In this way I am enabled to carry a great many decoys in a small carrier and also pack them for transportation or storage ina relatively small space. In realizing this feature I propose to make the body portion of cloth, such as light canvas, or anyother material suitable for the purpose.V The material will be cut in the desired design to simulate a duck, as an eX- ample, and stitched to leave a flexible hollow body having a neck 6, a head 7 and a pro-V j ecting tail 8. The open bottom of the body portion is adapted to slip over a baseboard l() which is of an oblong shape and in reality is the float for the assembly.

T he baseboard or base as I will term it, is

' made with a groove 9 around the edge of the same, and after the open bottom of the body has been set to overlap the edge, I sug gest using a suitable wire 11 in the groove to tightly bind the material of the body te the base. By twisting the ends of they wire as at 12, I can make a practical water-tight joint between the base and body. As a preliminary securing means I may use small tacks 13V to tack theedge of the material to the base.

tend the body to give it a contour.

On top of the base 10 onthe inside of the body "5 are a pair of eyes 14;, positioned to receive the inwardly turned ends 15 of the wire stifl'ening brace member 16.

W hen set up for use a supporting post or the like 17 will be inserted through the open.- ing 18 in the bottom of the base 10, and the post will extend vertically within the neck 6 and terminate at the inside top of the head 7 as best shown in Fig. 1. The head comprises in its preferred embodiment, a metallic shell 19 inserted in and made to con- 'orm'to the shape of the cut and stitched Ymaterial I'v leave the portion under the head as at 2l open and unstitehed, and after the head is inserted in place the opening is stitched up so that the head is held lirmly and snugly covered by the material.

The opening 18 in the base 10 is much larger than the post 17 so as to accommodate preferably a cork closure 22, which forms a water-tight seal :tor the base. The cork has a central bore for snugly fitting the post so that the latter is held water-tight therein and in adjusted extending relation relatively tothe head and body by the rictional engagement of the post with the cork. By forcing the post upward against the head, not only is the latter held in an extended position, but the pull on the body will also eX- The shaping of the body is aided by the wire stiffener 16 for the back and tail.

The post is provided with a loss-preventing string'or the like 23, which is fastened to an eye 24 in the side edge of the base. This eyealso serves as anattaching means for the string, or th-e like 25 for the anchor 2G. The eye 2l is placed at the location shown for a particular purpose. Rough water or wind often capsizes the decoys and v for this reason I have placed the eye at the most outward point so that it will always be at Windward, then when the decoy capsizes, the broadexposure ofA the base will offer a flat surface to the wind and the next gust will nip the decoy right side up again.

What I claim as new and desire to secure Letters Patent thereforis the following:

cached thereto, land a rigid and removable ineinber ozrryinga'-closure sind being -dpted to expand the body into life-like forni, the cloSiiie frictionzilly engaging said inember and the Wall of'said'opening end-effecting a water-tight Seal for the base and the ineniber. w Y 2. A decoy duck comprising e base having :in openinol therein, a collapsible body attached to the base, :i rigid post adapted to be inserted through sai-Cl opening to extend the body into life-like forni, 4Said opening being` larger than said post and a closure for seid opening,` having` e bore through which the pestis projeetable, the seid bore adapted to fictionelly hold the poet in projected po'- sition relative to the body and said ineens elit'ectiiig ii Water-tight seal for the bese and the post,

A decoycoinliirising e. baise.,- ai. head in the forni @fa hollow shell, e. collapsible fzibric: covering the 'head and connected'to the beee, enooening provided in the base, e rigid post, extending through said opening and into the hollow ot the head, frictional ineens carried by tliepost and adjustable thereon, said means adapted to be engagedv in the openinginV the base and to rietionally hold the vp ostin projected' adjusted relation reletive to the head, and saidY ineens efecting zi water-tight Seal for the base and the post.

A' decoycoinprising an oblong,-` base, e head in the form of e hollow shell, e collpsible fabric covering the head and connected to tlie base, an opening` provided in the base, a rigid post extendingl through said opening and into the hollow of the head, frictionel ineens carried by the post and 'ad jiistable thereon, seid ineens fte-:l to be engaged in the opening in the lbese and to trictionelly hold the postin projected iidjusted relation relative to the head, and siii i means effecting e Water-tightseal ttor the bese and the post, the Connection between the fabric Covering and the base coinprisi groove around the edge olf-the base,`tlie les rio overlapping said groove andV af Wire circling the bese and embedding the material of the covering,` in said groove so to ,nume a Water-tight joint bet-Ween the fabric end the bese. Y

In testimony whereofl aliix in'y sigueture.-

FRANK. STALLMAN. 

